


To Taran of Caer Dallben

by Bobcatmoran



Category: Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander
Genre: Epistolary, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 02:57:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13045062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobcatmoran/pseuds/Bobcatmoran
Summary: Doomed to the tedious task of learning how to be a proper lady, Eilonwy writes to Taran while she's on Mona.





	To Taran of Caer Dallben

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scioscribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scioscribe/gifts).



> Many thanks to my brother, beta for ten Yuletides running. You rock, dude. Any remaining errors are my own.

March 14

 

Dear Taran,

Queen Telaria insists that I am to practice letter-writing, as a proper Lady must learn official means of correspondence and  ~~ you’re the only one I would want to write letters to anyhow ~~ it was you or Fllewddur Fflam, and there’s a decent chance that he’s away roaming as a bard again, and a poor letter sent to him would never track him down. I suppose there would also be Dallben or Coll, but although they are quite dear, they live at the same address as you, and I suppose that you could pass this letter on if you really wanted to. Good old Doli might be another option, but I’m not quite sure how the post is to the Fair Folk. Actually, I’m not quite sure how the post is to Caer Dallben, but I am sure that it is more reliable than trying to reach Doli would be. Sending a letter to him would be like shouting down a hole. Oh! I suppose I could have written to Gurgi as well, only I don’t know if he can read. Please do tell him hello for me.

Anyhow, how are you? Are you well? How is Hen Wen? Is Arwen actually doing a good job working in the scullery? I cannot imagine she would be, considering how she behaved when I lived with her, but perhaps she has changed. I do miss Caer Dallben dreadfully. Queen Telaria is forever telling me to sit up straight and to stop gawping even when people say the most ridiculous things. 

The other girls here are terrific bores — content to sit around and do their embroidery and gossip, gossip, gossip. I don’t _care_ about who Branwen was seen kissing in the hall or whether Lleu is courting Goewin. Ugh, I can’t believe I even remember those details. It’s worse than wearing hedgehogs for shoes. And I cannot imagine a single one of them ever going off on an adventure. They would doubtless complain the entire time if they had to spend a single night out-of-doors. Meanwhile, I’m doomed to slow death, drowning in a feather mattress. Give me a nice solid patch of ground, outside under the stars, any night.

I shall have to bid you goodbye, as I am running out of space. But do please write back! Even the details of Coll’s turnips would be a welcome change.

 

Yours,

Eilonwy Daughter of Angharad

* * *

 

April 23

 

Dear Taran,

I received your letter and thank you very much for it. I hope to be back to see the harvest — give Gurgi, Coll, and Dallben my love. 

Queen Telaria has deemed my embroidery skills decent enough to begin a project of my own making, and I have decided to create a banner. The subject matter is secret, but I do hope it will scandalize the other ladies. It’s nothing too terrible, but it’s not all flowers and romantic nonsense like they are doing. A bit of creativity cannot go amiss, I feel.

Oh! Speaking of creativity, I was in court today and helped to settle a dispute between two Lords who were arguing over their fishing grounds. Queen Telaria and King Rhuddlum said my solution was quite unorthodox, but it seemed to satisfy everyone, so that is what matters, right?

 

Yours,

Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharad

* * *

 

May 27

 

Dear Taran,

Well, I suppose it will be quite some time until you receive this letter, as Dallben wrote back to me and said that you have gone on a quest! I cannot imagine whatever for. What does an Assistant Pig-Keeper need to go questing for, anyhow? That is as ridiculous as wearing your trousers on your head. Perhaps I shall just keep a long series of letters together and then give them all to you when I return to Caer Dallben.

My embroidery project is going well, though I have had to scale it back somewhat. My plans seem to have been too ambitious to fit onto the cloth. Speaking of overly ambitious,Prince Rhun, after talking to the Lords who were arguing over their fishing grounds, has decided to pay a visit to Mona Haven. He decided that the best way to help them out is to build a new seawall. I don’t claim to be any expert on construction techniques, but he seems to be convinced that if he starts at both ends, the wall will be done in half the time. It seems to me that it would be difficult to meet in the middle, but alas! Learning to be a Lady seems to involve little of learning how to do things, and much of learning how to get people to do things for you.

Perhaps I can use those skills to convince the prince that his approach needs refining. Or perhaps his father might do the convincing, only King Rhuddlum’s health has been so poorly lately. He tires easily, and all my knowledge is for naught. They have brought in a woman wise in herbs, and she’s been showing me what she’s doing, grinding willow bark and making a sort of tea of it, but it only seems to be easing his pain temporarily, not addressing what causes it. I wish I knew more magic, but there seems no one to teach me — no one except Arwen, and I trust her no farther than I could throw her — which isn’t very far at all.

I do hope whatever you are questing for that you find it, and that you return safely. 

 

Yours,

Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharad

* * *

 

February 4

 

Dear Taran,

I have been neglecting writing to you terribly. I suspect it is because I have received no reply, save for Dallben informing me that you are still on your quest.

Whatever it is you are questing for, I certainly hope it is worthwhile, as you have been gone for a ridiculous amount of time, and Dallben says that you’re seeking your parents. I suppose it makes sense to want to meet them — I can’t remember my father and given the chance would love to meet him myself — but it seems to me to be like digging for turnips in the middle of the mountains. With nothing to go on, I can’t imagine how you’re going about it.

I suppose I should tell you of the news from Mona. King Rhuddlum died this past summer. He had seemed to be recovering, so it was all quite sudden when he suddenly couldn’t catch hisbreath, clutched at his chest and then fainted away one day. He clung on for only a couple hours longer. It was quite sudden, and we were all very shocked and grieved terribly. 

~~Prince~~ King Rhun probably took it the worst, at first. None of us were expecting him to become king so quickly. But Queen Telaria has been an absolute rock. The longer I stay here, the more I realize how much she does to run the kingdom. She’s the one who manages the accounts, keeps tabs on the servants, and when other kings and queens come to call, she’s the one who’s gently nudging them to see things from Mona’s point of view. It’s all quite the balance, and she’s so sneaky about it that you’d really have to look to see it all. I am normally not in favor of being sneaky, but I feel that the variety she uses is honest, somehow. I can only hope to become as good at it as she is. 

I do hope you will be back at Caer Dallben soon. Word is that there will be some sort of great meeting there. No one is telling me anything, but I have picked up that Fflewddur and Prince Gwydion will be there, and Rhun is bringing me along whether he wants to or not. So clearly it is a matter of some importance, and you had better be back by then.

 

Yours,

Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharad


End file.
